Conduit



March 10, 1936, R. P. SIMMONS CONDUIT Filed July 13, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 10, 1936. R. P. SIMMONS 2,033,157

CONDUIT Filed July 13, 19:53 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR jjzr/zara 2511112210115 M 5W ATTORNEYS March 10, 1936. R. P. SIMMONS CONDUIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 15, 1953 INVENTQR I Emam P53710110;

w j ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITE CONDUIT Richard P. Simmons, Laurelton, Long Island, N. Y.

Application July 13, 1933, Serial No. 680,326

11 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a conduit of such form that it will combine lightness with strength, so that a minimum amount of material will be required in its fabrication and thus make for its production at a minimum cost; to provide a conduit which may be used to advantage as a sewer or water main, or as a well casing; to provide a conduit construction which may be economically and practically manufactured in sizes from ten inches or less to ten feet or more and have a compressive strength up to as much as eight thousand pounds or more per square inch; to provide a conduit which when used as a well casing is adapted to serve as a form for the reception of an inorganic filler such as concrete, so that where it is subject to the deleterious effects of any acid content in the earth strata through which it passes, the well contour will be left intact by reason of being defined by the filler should the metallic shell portions of the conduit be eaten away; and to provide a conduit in which the coupling operation between adjacent sections may be effected without relative angular or turning movement of the same on their own axes.

With this object in View, the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, broken away, showing adjacent sections of the conduit constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a detail perspective View, broken away, showing the web plates and the connected longitudinal reinforcing and spacing means between the same.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through one of the hollow wall sections of connected sections of conduits.

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views on the planes indicated by the lines 55 and 66 respectively of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a collective detail perspective view of portions of the ends of the shells of the conduit and the associated end rings.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a modified form of conduit adapted for the reception of a filler in the annular space between the shells.

Figure 9 is a view partly in elevation and partly broken away of the structure shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the terminal portions of the conduit shown in Figures 8 and 9.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of one of the coupling elements.

The conduit constituting the invention consists of the spaced axially coincident shells 20 and 2| which, if of cross-sectionally circular form, are concentrically arranged, so that an annular space is provided between them which space is closed at the ends of the shells by means of end rings 22 and 23, which are substantially identical except that the neck portion of the end ring 23 is much longer than the corresponding portion of the end ring 22, so as to provide an unobstructed cylindrical section 24 between the shoulder 25 and the ribs 26, the latter being formed by spaced circumferential slots cut in the neck adjacent its extremity. A threaded zone 21 is formed on the neck portion between the cylindrical section and the ribs 26 for the reception of a ring nut whose function is to secure the retaining sleeve of the coupling members which secure adjacent conduit sections together.

The end ring 22 omits the cylindrical section 24 and the threaded zone 21 but carries circumferential ribs 26 resulting from spaced circumferential grooves, just as is the case with the ring 23.

Both the rings 22 and 23 are reduced in exterior diameter and increased in interior diameter to provide the annular shell spacing elements 28 which enter the annular space between the shells 20 and 2 l, so that the shoulders 29 and 38 seat on the ends of the shells 2| and 20 respectively to which they may be secured in any acceptable manner, as by spot welding.

The end rings have not only the function of closing the annular space between the shells but serve as elements of coupling means by which adjacent conduit sections are connected together, complemental elements of which are the coupling members 3! which are sections of rings and consist of sets of two or more, being in the form of half circles where the sets consist of two and less than half circles where the sets consist of three or more, so that the several units of the set may. when in end to end engagement, constitute a ring. The coupling elements 3| are of an axial extent sufficient to span all the ribs 26 on the end rings of adjacent conduit sections and are slotted, as

indicated at 32, to provide seats for the ribs. 1

But the coupling elements alone are not sufficient to retain abutting end rings in engagement and there is therefore provided a retaining sleeve 33 which, when the coupling elements are in position, surrounds the same and thus precludes any radial movement of any element, so that the ribs 26 are positively retained in the seats 32. The retaining ring is locked in position by means of a ring nut 34 which, when engaged with the threaded zone 21 of the neck, bears upon the end of the retaining sleeve, forcing it .into firm engagement with the seat 35 formed on the end ring 32 by reason of the neck portion of the end ring being inset from the periphery thereof. The seat 35 also serves as a seat for the coupling elements or members 3| in the coupling operation of the conduit sections, particularly if the coupling is being accomplished when the sections are in vertical position, as when using the conduit as an oil well casing.

The cylindrical zone 24 of the end ring 23 is provided to give space for the ring nut '34 and the retaining sleeve 33 while the coupling elements or members 3! are being placed in position. The ring nut may be backed off the threaded zone 21- and moved up. against. the shoulder 25. and the retaining sleeve slipped over the neck. portion against the ring nut. After the coupling members are engaged with the rings of the conduit sections to be connected, the retaining sleeve may be dropped down into place over them and the ring nut screwed home into binding engagement with the sleeve.

The conduit, while designed to be light, is also designed to provide substantially the strength of athick-walled conduit and the shells are, therefore formed so asto provide a comparatively great crushing strength. To this end, they are formed with an intercurrent series of channels and ribs running circumferentially. Since this effect is secured by the use of corrugated sheet material, the latter is preferably employed andin one form of. the invention issuperposed on web plates of skeleton form. stamped to provide crossing series of longitudinal and circumferential strips 3.6 and 31.. The web plates are preferably corrugated, the corrugations conforming to the corrugations in the shells. The webplate-in contact with the innershell 20 is on. the outer surface of thelattel' andthat in contact with the shell 2l is on the inner surface of. the same. The web plates may be of single sheets turned into cylindrical form. or they may be sectorsof cylinders, but the shells 20 and 2| are preferably made from sheets Wrapped over the web plates, with their extremities in overlapping relation, as indicated at 38 in Figure 3.

While the conduit is reinforced to resist crushing strains by the use of ribbed or corrugated sheet, material, it is also reinforced to resist torsional and bending strain and the latter reinforcing means consist of the T-rails 39 and 40, the cross flanges of these rails being secured to the inner and outer shells but with the web plates intervening. The T-rails 3 9 and 4B are arranged in pairs, the T-rail 40 being secured to the inner shell and the T-rail 39 to the outer shell. These pairs of T-rails thus, besides providing the necessary longitudinal reinforcing, also provide the spacing means for maintaining the concentric or axially coincident relation of the shells. The rivets 4! by which the rails are secured to the shells are first secured to the cross flanges of the rails by being peaned into. place in the. cross flanges, the reduced neck portions 42 providing shoulders which abut the outer faces of the cross flanges, so that the rivets project from the flanges as rigid shanks which pass through both the web plates and the shells in the assembling operation of' the rails and the shells, being peaned over against the shells after the placement of the latter and the web plates, so that the plates and shells are thereafter rigidly secured to the rails. The outer shell and its web plates and associated T-rails are assembled independently of the inner shell and its associated parts and the inner shell is thereafter inserted in the outer shell, the T-rails 49 being interlocked with the T-rails 39 by reason of the bifurcated formation of the leg flanges of the rails 40 providing slots in which the leg flanges of the rails 39 may slide. In the assembling operation, after the proper end relation of the inner and outer shells is secured, the T-rails are secured together by spot welding or by any other acceptable means by which rigid connection between them may be effected. The longitudinal reinforcing rails are shorter in length than the shells by an amount equal to the depths of the annular shell spacing elements 26 of the end rings, these shell spacing elements seating on the ends of the rails after the shells are assembled-and the end rings positioned and secured in place.

- In that form of the invention shown in Figures 8 to 10 inclusive, the web plates are omitted andthe reinforcing T-rails 44 and 45 are secured direct to the shells 46 and 41, the shells being of the same character of sheet material as the shells 28 and 2| and the connection between the leg flanges of complemental rails being by'means of the leg flange of the one engaging in a slot in the leg flange of the other, just asin that form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 7. The form of the invention illustrated in Figures 8 t0 ,,-While it may be employed as a conduit of light construction of comparatively great strength, in which case the shells will be equipped with-end rings, such as are illustrated at 22 and 23, is particularly designed for use in well work as a well casing'and to have the annular space between the shells filled with a suitable filler 48 such as concrete or itsequivalent.

In order thatadjacent sections of conduit may be coupled. to. insure axial alignment, so that the annular space of connected .sectionswill be in communication, the leg flange of the T-rail 44-is extended beyond one end of the conduit section,- as indicated at 49, and is terminated short of the other end a distance equal to the extension 49, as indicated at 50. Thus. the extensions 49 of one conduit section may be engaged upon the seats 50 of the next section, this arrangement maintain-v ing axial coincidence of adjacent sections, so that the filler when set, will be continuous throughout connected sections.

In order that there may be no relative angular or turning movement of connected conduit sections on their own axes, where the end ring form of coupling adjacent sections is employed, the neck portions of the end rings are formed with keyways 5| and the coupling elements or members 3| similarly formed with keyways 52, keys 53 being disposed in these keyways in the coupling operation. Thus when the retaining sleeves are clamped in place by the seating of the ring nuts 34,, coupled sections of conduits are not only secured together so that there may be no relative axial movement but also that there may be no relative turning movement on their own axes.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A conduit comprising spaced concentric shells, and end rings bridging the shells at the ends to close the annular space between them.

2. A conduit comprising Spaced, concentric shells, and end rings bridging the shells at the extremities to close the annular space between them, said end rings embodying coupling elements to connect adjacent conduits together.

3. A conduit comprising spaced concentric shells, a filler of inorganic material occupying the annular spaced between them, the shells being circumferentially ribbed, and end rings bridging the shells at the extremities to cover the filler thereat.

4. A conduit comprising inner and outer concentric shells, web plates of skeleton form arranged in contact with the inner surface of one of the shells, and longitudinally arranged bracing members arranged in the annular space between the shells to maintain the spaced relation of the same and resist bending strains of the conduit as a whole.

5. A conduit comprising spaced concentric shells formed of corrugated sheet material with the corrugations running circumferentially, web plates in contact with the interior surface of the outer shell, longitudinally disposed bracing bars arranged in the annular space between the shells and secured to both, and end rings closing the annular space between the shells at the ends of the latter.

6. A conduit comprising spaced concentric shells formed of corrugated sheet material with the corrugations running circumferentially, longitudinally disposed bracing and connecting members disposed in the annular space between the shells, said bracing members consisting of T-rails having their cross flanges secured to the shells, the leg flanges of the T-rails connected to one shell being bifurcated at their longitudinal edges to provide slots receiving the longitudinal edges of the leg flanges of the rails connected to the other shell.

7. A conduit comprising spaced concentric shells formed of corrugated sheet material with the corrugations running circumferentially, longitudinally disposed bracing and connecting members disposed in the annular space between the shells, said bracing members consisting of T-rails having their cross flanges secured to the shells, the leg flanges of the T-rails connected to one shell being bifurcated at their longitudinal edges to provide slots receiving the longitudinal edges of the leg flanges of the rails connected to the other shell, and end rings disposed at the extremitles of the shells and closing the annular space between them.

8. A conduit comprising spaced concentric shells circumferentially formed to resist diametrical crushing strains, end rings disposed at the extremities of the shells and closing the annular space between them, and longitudinal bracing means disposed in the annular space between the shells and comprising pairs of interlocking T-rails of which the cross flanges of the units of each pair are secured respectively to opposite shells.

9. A conduit comprising spaced concentric shells formed of corrugated sheet material with the corrugations running circumferentially, web plates of skeleton form disposed in the annular space between the shells and in face contact respectively with the two, longitudinal bracing means disposed in the annular space between the shells and comprising T-rails arranged in pairs of interlocking units of which the cross flanges of the units of each pair are disposed respectively against the web plates, and fasteners extending through the shells, the web plates and the cross flanges to secure the shells against the web plates and both to the cross flanges of their respective T-rails.

10. A conduit comprising spaced concentric shells, and end rings bridging the shells at the extremities to close the annular space between them, said end rings being provided with coupling means for connecting adjacent conduits together without relative axial turning movement of the conduits.

11. A conduit comprising spaced concentric shells, and longitudinal bracing means disposed in the annular space between the shells and comprising pairs of interlocking T-rails of which the cross flanges of the units of each pair are secured respectively to opposite shells, the leg flanges of the corresponding units of the several pairs of T-rails terminating short of one end of the conduit but protruding a corresponding distance beyond the other end of the conduit, so that connecting conduits may be interlocked by the protruding sections of flanges on the one occupying the space in which such flanges are omitted in the other.

RICHARD P. SIMMONS. 

